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NRC will work with TVA to make Browns Ferry safe

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. — Nuclear Regulatory Commission Chairman Gregory Jaczko said on Friday that his agency will help the Tennessee Valley Authority to get its Browns Ferry Nuclear Plant in northern Alabama operating more safely.

Jaczko made the comment during a telephone conference call with reporters after he toured the plant with Tennessee Sen. Lamar Alexander, according to the Chattanooga Times Free Press (http://bit.ly/qdzzHR).

The rating came after a reactor-core cooling valve failed last fall and prompted NRC to begin a series of inspections.

The first two-week inspection, which was just completed, found that TVA “lacked rigor” when investigating the cause of problems, or simply made repairs without determining the cause. It also found problems with the plant’s in-service testing program.

“Red” is the worst level the NRC can give to a plant without ordering a forced shutdown, something the agency has never done.

Jaczko didn’t rule out that possibility following his Friday tour, but said the NRC would make any decision about shutting down the plant “if and when we find additional challenges.”

“We have not made any determination that they are not ultimately able to operate safely,” he said.

Alexander, a nuclear energy proponent, said he is not concerned about the safety of America’s nuclear plants.

“It’s reassuring to me that when a problem occurs, the commission whose job it is to make sure we’re safe, and TVA itself, jumps on top of it to fix it,” he said.

Jaczko said he arranged the tour of Browns Ferry in part because Browns Ferry’s design is similar to Japan’s Fukushima Dai-ichi plant, which has been in nuclear crisis since it was damaged by an earthquake and tsunami in mid-March.

“One of the things I was looking for as I went through the (Browns Ferry) plant was the condition of equipment,” Jaczko said. “And it’s clear there are some areas where there’s room for improvement.”

TVA spokesman Ray Golden said Jaczko’s comments were not unexpected.

“There have been a number of performance issues not completely addressed at Browns Ferry, and we’ll use this opportunity to accelerate the pace of change,” he said.

He also said TVA will apply what is learned from Browns Ferry to its other nuclear plants — Sequoyah just north of Chattanooga and Watts Bar near Spring City, Tenn.